Considering Halloween is coming up, have you ever thought of how this time of year also begins to reveal ghosts of railroads past? In southern New England especially, as the beautiful foliage starts to diminish, old railroad roadbeds start to emerge and it's easier to imagine what it must've been like when those lines were still active.

One of the best things about modeling - especially prototype modeling, IMO - is the ability to create your own little time machine. I wasn't born until 1969, but on my layout it's the late 1940s.

I’m a steam-era modeler - and steam-era means plain bearing trucks.  Plain bearing trucks - especially the wheels - “dirty up” in a much different way than modern roller bearing trucks - they’re oily and gunky in a fabulous way.